Tamperproof cap or closure for a container



Oct. 28, 1969 N. B. LERNER 3,474,930

TAHPERPROOF CAP OR CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Filed May 2, 1968 :IIII? III/I/I/II jaw/z? @MAX A. Ajax/5 United States Patent 3,474,930 TAMPERPROOF CAP OR CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Nathan B. Lerner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to W. Braun Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 2, 1968, Ser. No. 726,167

Int. 'Cl. B65d 17/00 U.S. Cl. 220-27 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tamperproof cap or closure for a container provided with a retaining band or ring and a manually engageable strip secured to said retaining band, whereby said cap when applied to a container is irremovably connected thereto to prevent tampering with said container, however, when said retaining band has been severed from said cap by pressure applied through a manually engageable strip, the cap or closure is removable from said container.

BRIEF SUMMARY The principal object of this invention is to provide a tamperproof cap or closure which is applicable to aerosoltype containers and/or bottles, or containers, which prevents removal of the cap or closure until the retaining band is stripped away by the application of manual pressure. This is a visible indication that the contents of the bottle or container has not been tampered with as long as said cap is secured to said container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure cap having the foregoing advantages which is integrally molded of a plastic material and which is economical to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tamperproof cap which when once removed cannot be reconnected to the container in a tamperproof condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tamperproof cap which may be molded by moving the male and female die members axially. The cap may be molded without a side action of the die members. This eliminates the difficulty and expense of molding which is inherent in a side action type of molding.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken on line 11 of FIG. 2, showing the cap of this invention applied to an aerosol container.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of same.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view.

FIG. 4 is a view partly in section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of a modified cap.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified construction.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a modification showing the cap applied to a bottle or container, and

FIG. 8 is a view of a further modification.

Reference will first be made to the construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive. FIG. 1 shows the application of the cap forming this invention to aconventional aerosol-type container. The conventional container comprises a cylindrical body 10, having a dome-shaped top head 12 which is crimped to the body to provide an annular external bead 14. The conventional aerosol-type container has a projecting head 16 which is part of the spray valve assembly and the projecting head is provided with the usual spray outlet 17. Depressing the head 16 will cause Patented Oct. 28, 1969 the material in the aerosol container to be discharged or sprayed through the spray outlet as is well understood.

The purpose of the cap as shown herein is to provide a covering for the actuable spray head and in addition thereto to provide a closure so that the spray head cannot be manipulated or operated either accidentally or otherwise while the product is on the store shelf.

The tamperproof cap, generally indicated at 18, and shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, forms one embodiment of this invention. It is integrally molded of a plastic material and is of generally cylindrical shape having a vertical annular wall 20 joined by a fiat top horizontal wall 22. The inside of the cap has an annular depending wall 24 of a size to fit around and abut the peripheral annular end 26 of the dome-shaped head 12, as best seen in FIG. 1.

Formed integrally with the lower portion of the vertical outer' wall 20 is an annular retaining band or retaining ring generally designated by the numeral 28 which comprises a horizontal portion 29 extending laterally outward from the vertical wall 20 of the cap, which then continues downwardly vertically as at 30 and then extends inwardly at the bottom to form an annular lip 32 which has a tapering or inclined inner surface 33. An annular recess 34 is formed in said band. When the cap is initially applied to the container the tapered surface 33 of the band will engage the head 14 and cause the lower portion of the band 28 to ride over the bead, after which the lip 32 will lock with the bead, as shown in FIG. 1. The annular band 28 will surround and enclose the bead 14 formed in the cylindrical body and will be in engagement therewith. Once the cap is applied to the container, as shown in FIG. 1, the cap becomes locked to said container through the medium of the band 28 and cannot be removed therefrom until the band 28 is detached, as will be subsequently described.

As shown in FIG. 1, an annular weakened portion 36 is provided between the horizontal portion 29 of the band and the vertical wall 20 of the cap. This weakened portion permits the band 28 of the cap to be removed, as will be subsequently described, when it is desired to unlock the cap from its engagement with the container.

A manually engageable strip generally designated by the numeral 38 is formed integrally as part of the band 38 and extends laterally thereof. The strip 38 has a lower horizontal portion 40 which is integral with the annular band 38, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The lower horizontal portion of said manually engageable member is substantially flush with the bottom of the band, as best seen in FIG. 3, and is connected to said band. The manually engageable strip then inclines upwardly to form a portion 42 and then extends forwardly to form the finger engaging portion 44. The finger engaging portion has a serrated surface on the opposite sides so that it may be manually grasped. The upwardly inclined portion 42 and the forwardly extending portion 44 are spaced slightly from the band to facilitate manipulation of the strip, as when it is manually engaged for the purpose of removing or severing the band from the cap.

The annular retaining band 28 has a vertically extending weakened portion 46 which is adjacent the inclined portion 42 of the strip. The weakened portion 46 of the band is provided with a recess at the top and bottom thereof. When it is desired to remove the tamperproof cap 18 from the aerosol container the manually engageable strip 38 is engaged by the fingers of the hand at the serrated surface portion 44 and by pulling the strip upwardly the vertical weakened portion 46 of the band will be caused to rupture and break. As the strip 38 is pulled upwardly the retaining band 28 is torn away from the cap body along the weakened annular portion 36. Thus, the band 28 is completely removed from the cap and with this removal the cap 18 is unlocked from the container and may be removed therefrom. It will be understood that after use of the spray the cap may be positioned on the top of the container to protect the spray head from being accidentally depressed, however, the cap may be readily removed for the continued use of the spray.

If for any reason prior to the purchase of the container by the consumer the retaining band 28 is removed from the cap, the consumer immediately is aware that the container has been tampered with prior to sale and therefore will be put on notice that the container has been used. With this construction the consumer is safeguarded against prior use of the container. As long as the cap is locked in position, as shown in FIG. 1, with the band 28 around the bead 14, the consumer knows that the container has not been tampered with.

FIG. is a slight modification of the construction heretofore described. In this construction the annular weakened portion 48 is formed in the band 28' between the horizontal portion 29' and the vertical wall 30'. This annular weakened portion 48 extends around the retaining band. The manually engageable strip in the modification is as previously described in connection with strip 38. Pulling up on the strip will tear the retaining band at the annular weakened portion 48 and will remove the band from the balance of the cap, in the same manner as previously described.

-In the modification shown in FIG. 6, the retaining band is designated by the numeral 50 and is as previously described in connection with band 28. In lieu of the manually engageable strip 38, a manually engageable strip 52 is provided which has an inclined portion 54 attached to and formed integrally with the band. Extending forwardly of the inclined portion 54 and spaced slightly from the band is a finger engaging portion 56.

In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the cap 60 is shown applied to a bottle or container. The bottle 62 has an externally threaded neck 64 and an annular bead 66. The tamperproof cap 60, as herein shown, has an annular vertical wall 68 and a horizontal top 69. The annular wall 68 is internally threaded as at 70 to be engaged by the external threads on the neck of the bottle. Formed integrally with the bottom of the cap is an annular retaining band 72 which is generally similar to the band 28 previously described to engage the bead 66 of the bottle to prevent removal of the cap until the band has been torn away from the cap, as previously described. The band 72 has a finger engaging strip similar to strip 38. The band 72 has an inclined lower lip 74 to permit it to override the bead 66 when first inserted thereon but which engages and locks with the bottom of the bead 66 to prevent removal therefrom until the band 72 has been torn away.

Referring to the modification shown in FIG. '8, the cap 80 may be of the type used for aerosol containers such as shown in FIG. 1, or for use on bottles such as shown in FIG. 7. The cap 80 has a band 82 which has an annular horizontal portion 83 and an annular vertical wall 84. The annular horizontal portion 83 has a pair of spaced annular weakened portions 86 extending around the annular horizontal portion 83 which form the fracture lines. A manually engageable strip or tab 88 is integrally molded with the cap and extends upwardly of the horizontal portion 83 of the cap and between the spaced weakened portions 86. By manually pulling upwardly on the strip or tab 88 the horizontal portion 83 of the cap between the weakened portions 86 is torn away and separated from the cap and the vertical wall 84. This permits the cap to be either unscrewed from the neck of the bottle if it is the type shown in FIG. 7, or it may be lifted off the container if it is the type shown in FIG. 1. With this modification the annular vertical wall 84 of the cap may remain secured to the bottle or aerosol container without affecting the removal of the cap therefrom.

The cap shown in this application may be molded by moving the male and female die members axially, i.e., from each other without a side action. Prior art caps are made with a side action molding operation which increases the cost of molding.

What is claimed is:

-1. A closure cap for a container, which container has a shoulder or bead, the invention comprising a molded cap having a top Wall and an annular side wall, a retaining band integrally molded with said cap at the lower end of the side wall, said retaining band having an annular top wall, an annular vertical side wall and an inwardly extending lip at the bottom of the vertical side wall, said retaining band adapted to enclose the shoulder or bead with the inwardly extending lip engaging the lower portion of the shoulder or bead on said container for locking said closure to said container against tampering of said container, a strip integrally molded with said retaining band, said strip having a rear portion attached to said retaining band and a front portion detached from said retaining band, said strip having a substantially uniform width and extending around a portion of the circumference of the retaining band, said front and rear portions of the strip extending laterally the same distance from the annular side wall of the cap, said front portion having manually engageable means to be grasped to apply a pressure against the retaining band and to cause severance of said band from said cap to permit a removal of said cap from said container.

2. A cap as defined in claim 1 in Which a weakened fracture line is provided between the cap and the retaining band and wherein the severance is at the weakened fracture line.

3. A cap as defined in claim 2 in which the fracture line extends annularly.

4. A cap as defined in claim 1 in which the annular vertical side wall of the retaining band has a vertically extending fracture line which is broken when pressure is applied to the retaining band.

5. A cap as defined in claim 1 in which an annular fracture line is provided between the cap and the annular top wall of the retaining band and in which the retaining band has a vertically extending fracture line.

6. A cap as defined in claim 5 in which the vertical fracture line is adjacent the strip.

7. A cap as defined in claim 1 in which the annular top wall of the retaining band has spaced annular fracture lines and in which the strip is integral with the annular top wall and between the spaced fracture lines.

8. A cap as defined in claim 1 in which the strip extends contiguous to the vertical Wall of the retaining band with the front and rear portions of the strip extending laterally the same distance from the vertical wall of the retaining strip.

9. A cap as defined in claim 1 in which the forward portion of the strip extends upward of the attached rear portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,037,672 6/1962 Gach 222-182 3,170,602 2/1965 Suellentrop 222-182 3,170,603 2/1965 Kitterman 222-182 FOREIGN PATENTS 651,566 12/1964 Belgium.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner 13.8. "C1. X.R. 215-46; 222182 

